Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scary

/ˈskɛə.ɹi/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.37 in modern English

Syllables
scary
IPA
/ˈskɛə.ɹi/
10
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Causing fear or anxiety

Informal

adj

Uncannily striking or surprising.

Informal

adj

Subject to sudden alarm; easily frightened.

American usage; Colloquial

adv

To a scary extent; scarily.

Informal

noun

Barren land having only a thin coat of grass.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree English scare Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English scary From scare + -y.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈskɛə.ɹi/
  • British English: /ˈskɛə.ɹi/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce scary?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈskɛə.ɹi/.
What does scary mean?
Causing fear or anxiety
Where does scary come from?
Etymology tree English scare Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English scary From scare + -y.

How to pronounce scary

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “scary”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈskɛə.ɹi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “scary”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “scary” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.